Packaging and packing machine



May 28, 1963 P. CHELLE PACKAGING AND PACKING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 21, 1960 May 28, 1963 P. L. CHELLE PACKAGING AND PACKING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 21, 1960 y 28, 1963. P. CHELLE I 3,091,065

PACKAGING AND PACKING MACHINE Filed NOV. 21, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 3' JZa y 8, 1963 P. L. CHELLE 3,091,065

PACKAGING AND PACKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 21, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 May 28, 1963 P. L. CHELLE 3,091,055

PACKAGING AND PACKING MACHINE Filed Nov. 21, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig. /5

United States Patent 3,091,065 PACKAGING AND PACKING MACHINE Paul Louis Chelie, Alfortviiie, France; Louise G. Chelle,

donee; Pierre J. L. Chelle and Marie T. J. Chelle, heirs of said Paul L. Clielle, deceased Filed Nov. 21, 1960, Ser. No. 70,729 Claims priority, application France Nov. 19, 1959 11 Claims. (Cl. 53171) The present invention relates to packaging and packing machines. It is now customary to use, instead of strawcases or racks, for the delivery of bottles, cardboard sheaths into which the bottles are fitted and which are themselves delivered in wooden or cardboard packing containers. In most cases these operations of placing the bottles into the sheaths and of placing the sheaths into the containers are carried out by hand and this, in addition to the danger of a bottle slipping through a workmans hands, leads to a high labor cost. This method of conditioning merchandise is in fact utilized for a wide variety of objects.

With a view of overcoming these drawbacks, the present invention has for an object the provision of a packaging and packing machine comprising, in succession, a station for supplying packaging cardboards from which the latter are conveyed step by step to a crease-marking and preforming station from which in turn the preformed cardboards are conveyed to an object-charging and ultimateforming station whence the cardboards which package the objects are mechanically conveyed to a station for loading them into the packing containers, the motions of the mechanisms at the various stations being controlled in synchronism off a master shaft through the medium of appropriate transmission systems.

In a preferred embodiment, each cardboard is designed to package two objects placed side-by-side in two contiguous prismatic cells of square cross-section formed in the cardboard, the adjacent faces of the cells being constituted by the terminal portions of the folded-back cardboard. In this case, the crease-marking and preforming station comprises a device for creasing the cardboard and a further device for raising the surfaces comprised between the edges and the outer creases. The station Where the ultimate forming and the introduction of the pair of objects are carried out comprises a component for raising the cardboard along the length of the inner creases and a component for folding-back the cardboard along the length of the intermediate creases and over the pair of objects delivered onto that cardboard, with insertion of the cardboard terminal flaps between the two objects, this latter component ensuring maintenance of the cardboard in the folded position until the latter is taken over by a guiding component fixed to the final packing station. This latter station comprises a platform which descends stepby-step for the purpose of forming, under the action of a transversely mobile component, one or more stacks of pairs of packaged objects, and a mechanism for loading the stack or stacks of pairs of packaged objects into the packing container. In cases where the packing container is designed to take, side by side and in succession, a plurality of stacks of pairs of packaged objects, the packing station is associated to a mechanism which causes a step-by-step displacement of the packing container over a distance equal to its Width divided by the number of ice stacks and simultaneous raising of the platform into its uppermost position in readiness for the constitution of a fresh stack.

The description which follows with reference to the accompanying drawings, given by way of example only and not in a limiting sense, will give a clear understanding of how the invention may be performed and will disclose further particularities thereof.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a lateral View on a reduced scale of a bottle packaging and packing machine in accordance with the invention.

FIGS. 2a and 2b are larger-scale views of the machine in FIG. 1, the junction between these two figures being along the line X--X.

*FIG. 3 is a cross-section through FIG. 2a along the line IIIII I.

FIG. 4 is a cross-section through FIG. 2a along the line IVIV.

FIG. 5 is a cross-section through FIG. 2b along the line VV.

FIGS. 6 through 10 illustrate the successive shapes imparted to the cardboard.

FIG. 11 shows the abutment and guidance device of the packing station.

FIGS. 12 and 13 are side elevation and plan views respectively of the packing station in accordance with a variant.

FIG. 14 is a section through FIG. 12 along the line XIVXIV.

FIGS. 15 and 16 are side elevation and plan views respectively of a variant on the actuating mechanism for the cardboard-distributing sliders.

FIG. 17 is a lateral elevation with partial cutaway of a variant on the cardboard raising and folding device of the creasing and preforming station.

The figures show a bottle packaging and packing machine, but it is clearly obvious that the packaging material and the packing containers could be used for any suitable type of object, the dimensions of which would define those of the cells designed to receive them at the ultimate-forming and charging station.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 through 5 and 11, the bottle packaging and packing machine comprises a frame 1 carrying the machine base on which is mounted, through the medium of bearings 2, a drive shaft 3 rotated by a motor 4 coupled by a belt drive 5 to a speed reduction unit 6. Onto this shaft 3, which is the master driving shaft, are fixed the various mechanical components ensuring operation in synchronism of the diiferent stations of the machine.

This machine comprises four stations in succession, namely a station A for supplying fiat cardboards, a staiton B for creasing and preforming these flat cardboards, station C for the final forming of the cardboards and for furnishing them with bottles, and a station D for packing said cardboards furnished with bottles into a wooden or cardboard packing container. V

The station A comprises a magazine 7 open at the bottom and in which are stacked flat pieces of cardboard 8 which have been previously cut of the dimensions of the package to be produced.

Beneath this magazine mounted on base 140 is arranged a transverse shaft 9 on which is mounted a bevel gear meshing with a gear 11 mounted on the end of the master shaft 3. Through the medium of a suitable transmission system, consisting say of a chain and sprockets, this shaft 9 rotates a crank 12 about a transverse shaft 13, said crank being coupled to a connectingrod 14 which is fixed via a support 15 onto a slider 16 connected to a second slider 16a via a cross-piece 161;. These sliders 16 and 16a travel between pairs of rollers 17, 18 and 17a, 18a, respectively, arranged on either side of the machine and carry feed devices 19' provided with terminal beaks 20 designed to convey the cardboards from station to station. Along the length of the machine are to be found three such feed devices 19, 19a and 19b. To enable the beaks to travel beneath the cardboards, the sliders 16 and 16a are caused to rise and fall by rocking about the rollers 17, 18 and 17a, 18a through the action of a pair of cams 21 carried by the master shaft 3 and which cooperate with a cam-follower 21a carried on a support fixed to the sliders.

The creasing and preforming station B comprises a support 22 vertically slidable over the base 140 and equipped with creasing vertical blades 23--23a, 24-240, and 2525a which are downwardly directed and the lower ends of which are substantially flush with the upper surface of base 140 in inoperative position. This support is actuated by a lever 26 which is articulated, via a slot 27, onto a shaft 28 carried by the support, one end of this lever being hinged onto the machine bed at 30 while the other end is connected, via a rod 31, to a beamlever 32 whose fulcrum-pin is at 38 and onto whose other end is hinged, at 34, a lever 35 fitted with a camfollower 36 bearing against a cam 37 carried by the shaft 3. The blades 25 and 25a are hinged onto the support 22 at 38 and 38a respectively. Under the action of said creasing blades two series of three parallel crease-lines lever 61 which is hinged at 62 onto the machine bed and which carries a cam-follower 63 pressed by a spring 64 against a cam 65. This former is associated to a mechanism for folding up the intermediate surfaces of the cardboard and to a further mechanism for folding back the outer intermediate and terminal surfaces of said cardboard.

The mechanism for folding up the intermediate surfaces of the cardboard comprises a slider 66 vertically slidable underneath the base 140, which is thrust upwardly by a spring 67 and which carries a cam-follower 68 bearing against a cam 69. This slider carries a head 70 onto which are hinged, at 71 and 71a respectively, two upwardly directed pushrods 72 and 72a disposed on either side of the lateral plates 54, 54a and bearing in inoperative position under the inner intermediate surfaces I, 1 of the cardboard.

The folding back mechanism comprises a transverse horizontal shaft 73 mounted rotatably in a sleeve 74 which is itself rotatably supportedby the machine base over the former. The shaft 73 carries a pinion 75 which meshes with a rack76 carried by :a support 77, and an inclined lever 78 equipped with a pallet 79 having a shoe 80. Onto the sleeve 74 is mounted a pinion 75a meshing with a rack 76a carried by the support 77 and an inclined lever 78a fitted with a pallet 79a having a shoe 80a. The support 77 is coupled to a slider 145 actuated by a lever 145a hinged at 146- .and carrying a cam-follower 147 bearing against a cam 148. The lower ends of inclined levers 78 and 78a can butt against the upper portion of the central plate 55 while in this position to h, h 1, i k, k are marked on the cardboard 8 and define thereon a central surface S, four intermediate surfaces I, I K, K and two terminal surfaces T, T (FIG. 6). a

At the station B are furthermore mounted two mechanisms. for raising the terminal surfaces T, T of the cardboard 8 about crease-lines h, h produced by the blades 25- 2501 This mechanism comprises two upwardly directed pushrods 39, 39a disposed on either side of blades 25, 25a and the upper ends of which are substantially flush with the upper surface of base 140 in inoperative position. Said pushrods are fixed at 40 and 40a to sliders 41 and 41a which are thrust upwards by springs 42 and 42a and which carry cam-followers 43 and 43a bearing against cams 44 and 44a.

Lastly, at station B is mounted a mechanism for folding the raised terminal surfaces T, T over the remaining part of the cardboard 8. This mechanism comprises two racks 45 and 45a fixed to sliders 46 and 46a connected by rods 47 to a'lever 48 hinged at 49 onto the machine bed and carrying a cam-follower 50 bearing against the cam 53 orthe cam 53a. The racks 45 and 45a are in mesh with toothed sectors 142 and 142:: forming part of downwardly directed levers 143 and 14311 disposed above the base 140 on' either side of the crease-making and raising devices hinged at 141 and 141a around transverse horizontal axes respectively. These levers carry rollers 144 and 1440 on their free ends.

The final forming and charging station C comprises a former consisting of two lateral vertical plates 54, 54a registering with the inner crease-lines k, k and the height of which is equal to the width of the inner intermediate surfaces I, I and a central plate '55 the height of which is greater than that of said lateral plates. This assembly, which is joined together by a shaft 56 and laterallyydisposed at rest with respect to base'140 opposite the distribution apparatus, is' conveyed onto the cardboard 8 disposed on the upper surface of base 140 by a transmission system comprising a rod 5-7, a lever 58 hinged at 59 onto the machine bed, a rod 60, and a shoes 80, are horizontal and substantially flush with the upper edges of lateral plates 54, 54a.

Furthermore, level with station C is arranged a bottle-introducing assembly. This assembly comprises a bottle conveyor chain travelling on angle irons 81. The bottles are led up to a turnstile 82 actuated by a ratchetwheel 83 whose pawl 84 is operated by a lever 85 hinged at 86, a connecting-rod 87, and a lever 88 hinged at 89 carrying a cam-follower 90 hearing against a cam- 91. This assembly ensures bottle selection in pairs. Furthermore, a lever 92 hinged at 86 is actuated by a connectingrod 93 coupled to a lever 94 hinged at 89 and equipped with a cam-follower 95 bearing against a cam 96.

- This bottle distribution station further comprises an apron 97 embodying two V-shaped recesses onto which is hinged at 98 a connecting-rod 99 whose other end is hinged onto a lever 100 operated by a cam 100a. Finally, a push-lever '101 is hinged at 102 and is actuated by a connecting-rod 103 which is itself actuated by a cam 103m.

The station D comprises an accumulation platform 104 supported on two sliders 105 and 105a. In proximity to the accumulation platform 104-, the shaft 3 carries a pinion 106 meshing with a gearwheel 107 mounted on an intermediate shaft 108. Onto this intermediate shaft 108 are mounted two cams 109 and 110 and also a pulley having a groove 111 which serves to rotate a shaft 112 on which are mounted two cams 113 and 114.

Beneath the accumulation platform 104 is mounted a slider 115 placed astride the shaft 3 and onto which is hinged a double-lever 116 articulated at 117 and carrying a cam-follower 118 bearing against the cam 109. The diameters of pinion 106 and gearwheel 107 being in the ratio of l to 3, the shaft 108 rotates at one-third the speed of shaft 3 and enables, through the mediumv of the transmission system described above, three successive descents of equal height to be ensured for the platform 104. Over a square 119 mounted loosely on the intermediate shaft 108 is displaceable a slider 120 coupled by a link 121 to a lever 122 hinged at 123' and onto whose other end is mounted, thrusting against a link 124, a push-head 125 provided with three push-bars 126a through 126a.

Above the shaft 112 travels a packing-container con veyor 127 the upper surface of which is flush with that of platform 164 in the lowermost position of the latter. Each packing container can be retained in two different positions through the medium of return levers 123 and 128a hinged at 129. Lever 128 is coupled to a link 130 hinged onto the end of a lever 131 which is itself hinged at 132 and which carries a cam-follower 133 bearing against the cam 113. Similarly, lever 128:: is coupled to a link 130a hinged onto a lever 131a which is itself hinged at 132 and which carries a cam-follower 133a bearing against the cam 114. The levers 128 and 123:: are restored by springs 134.

On the accumulation platform is mounted a guiding support 135 on which is fixed a thrust-plate 136 carrying two guide-plate 137 and 137a. Above the station I) are further mounted two strips 138 and 138a provided with bosses 139 and the lower surfaces of which are substantially flush with the shoes 80, 80a when the levers 78, 78a butt against the central plate 55-.

The machine described above works in the following manner:

When, under the action of crank 12 and connectingrod 14, sliders 16 and 16a have fetched the feed device 19 into position a (FIG. 2a), the feed devices 1% and 19b occupy positions b and 0 respectively. The beak 20 of feed device 19 places itself opposite the bottommost sheet of cardboard 8' of the stack of sheets in the magazine 7. When, under the action of their actuating mechanism, sliders 16 and 16a move in the direction of arrow F, the feed device 19 leads the sheet 8 underneath station B by sliding it along the machine base 140'. The support 22 is then in the raised position, the sliders 41 and 41a in the lowered position, and levers 143 and 143a in the position shown in FIG. 2a.

Then, under the action of cam 37, the support 22 is lowered, thereby pressing blades 2323a, 2424a and 25-2511 onto the cardboard S and imparting to it the shape in FIG. 6. Under the action of springs 42, 42a and earns 44, 44a, the sliders 41 and 41a are then raised and, via the pushrods 39 and 39a, raise the terminal surfaces T, T of the cardboard which then assumes the shape in FIG. 7. At the same time as said sliders descend, cams 53 and 53a displace the racks which in turn pivot the lever 143 and 143a, thereby applying the rollers 144 and 144:: against the raised edges of the cardboard. These levers pursue their movement and cause the end blades 25 and 25a to pivot and impart the shape shown in FIG. 8 to the cardboard. At this point, the sliders 16 and 16a have returned to their initial positions and the feed device 190 occupying the position b is ready to convey the preformed and creased cardboard from station B to station C.

The cardboard having thus been conveyed to station C as shown in FIG. 2a, the former 54, 54a, 55 is fetched onto the cardboard through the action of the cam 65. At the same time, a pair of bottles which have first been selected by turnstile 82 and its actuating mechanism and then thrust by lever 92 into the apron 97, are pushed onto the cardboard by the push-lever 191 after the apron 97 has been tilted over by the connecting-rod 99. Then, under the action of spring 67 and cam 69, the slider 66 is raised and, by means of its pushrods 72 and 72a, simultaneously raises the intermediate surfaces I, 1 K, K of the cardboard and gives it the shape in FIG. 9. Then, under the action of cam 148, the support 77 actuates the racks 76 and 76a which in turn rotate the levers 7S and 78a about the axis common to shaft 73 and sleeve 74; the shoes 80 and 39a of pallets 79 and 79a then fold back the cardboard along the intermediate crease-lines i, i and fetch its two terminal surfaces T, T adjacent to each other on either side of plate 55 of the forming device, thereby imparting to the cardboard the shape illustrated in FIG. 10. The shoes 80, 89a keep the cardboard folded, so that the former 54, 54a, 55 can be withdrawn. At that moment feed device 1% is in the position 0 of FIG. 2a and is 6. ready to convey the folded cardboard furnished with bottles to station D.

During this conveying operation, the cardboard is maintained in the folded position, on the one hand by the shoes and, on the other, by the strips 138. The distribution platform 104 is then in its uppermost position, level with the machine platform 140.

Under the action of feed device 19b, the pair of packaged bottles penetrates between guiding support and guide-plate 137, the cardboard abutting against the abut ment plate 136 after its upper angles have been strongly pressed by the bosses 139. Under the action of cam 109, the slider 115 is then moved one step lower, thereby fetching the upper face of guide plate 137 level with platform 140. A second pair of packaged bottles is then conveyed between guide-plates 137 and 137a into abutment with the stop-plate 136 after the upper angles have been pressed by the bosses 139. Under the action of cam 109, the slider 115 is moved down one more step, thereby fetching the upper surface of guide-plate 137a level with platform 140. A third pair of packaged bottles is then loaded onto guide-plate 137 by the feed device 1%. The configuration of the machine is then as shown in FIG. 2b.

In the meantime, the packing container 127 has been arrested in its travel by the spring-loaded lever 128. Once the stacking of the .three pairs of packaged bottles has been accomplished, then, under the action of the earn 110, the lever 122 loads the three pairs of packaged and stacked bottles into the packing container 127 by the action of the push-bars 126a through 1260. Then, under the action of cam 109, the slider 115 is raised and fetches the accumulation platform 104 level with base 140. The cycle whereby three pairs of packaged bottles are stacked up in tiers is then resumed, but, in the meantime, lever 128 has been retracted by cam 113 whereas lever 128a is brought into position by cam 114 in order to arrest the packing container 127 which moves between these two stationary positions over a distance of one-half length. Thus when the lever 122 is again actuated by the cam 110 so as to cause it to push the fresh stack of three pairs of packaged bottles, this fresh set of three pairs is placed in the packing container beside the first three pairs loaded.

In order to prevent the labels on the bottles from being ripped off when the latter are introduced into the packages at station C, the lateral plates 54, 54a and the plate 55 of the forming device are provided with apertures (FIG. 4).

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 12 through 14, the master driving shaft 3a rotated by a motor 4a coupled, via a belt drive 5a, to a speed reduction unit 6a, carries a sprocket wheel 151 which is joined by a chain to a further sprocket wheel 152 mounted on a shaft 153. This shaft carries a sprocket 154 joined by a chain to a further sprocket 155 mounted on a shaft 156 with an interposed tensioning roller 157. Shafts 153 and 156 carry the various components which actuate the packing station D.

This station comprises a base 140:: onto which the distributor components fixed to the distributing sliders convey, in succession, from the final forming and bottlefurnishing station, two packaging cardboards 158 and 159 each complete with its pair of bottles. On the shaft 153 is keyed a cam 160 having a boss 161 which is designed to cooperate with a cam-follower 162 carried by a slider 163 which travels over a square piece 164 loosely mounted on the shaft 153 and which is coupled to a lever 165 actuating, through the medium of a countershaft, a further lever 166 provided with a strip 167. The purpose of this strip is to ensure transverse displacement of the tier of two paired packages 158 and 159 relative to the base 140a.

Laterally with respect to this base 140a is arranged a conveyor belt 168 which conveys, to the packing stacolumns 172 and 173 step by step.

On the shaft 156 are mounted in succession a cam 174 controlling the step-by step descent of the platform 171,

a cam 175 controlling the introduction into the packing container of a stack of three tiers of two paired packages each, namely of twelve bottles, and a cam 176 controlling a component serving to'place the packing container to be loaded in registered relationship with the platform 171 in the lowermost position of the latter.

The cam 174 actuates a cam-follower 177 carried by a slider 178 which is displaceable over a square 179 mounted loosely on the shaft 166. This slider is coupled to a rod 180hinged onto a lever 181 which, via a countershaft, actuates a lever 182 connected via a rod 183 to a flange 184 mounted beneath the platform 171. This cam embodies two successive hollows of which the second has a depth equal to twice that of the first, in order to control lowering of the platform 171 step-bystep through one-third of its height, so that under the action of lever 166 and strip 167 it should have stacked onto it three successive tiers of two paired packages 158 and 159 each. 7

The cam 175 carries a boss 184a and actuates the camfollower 185 of a slider 176 mounted in similar fashion to slider 178. This slider 186 actuates a lever 187 which in turn controls two pairs of levers 188 and 189' hinged :at 190. These pairs of levers carry a plate 191 which is articulated at 192 and which itself carries three strips 193 through 195. Under the action of the boss 184a, these levers 188 and 189 displace, by means of the strips 193 through 195, the three tiers of two paired packages stacked on the platform 171 when the latter, having been brought into its bottommost position, has been loaded with the last tier of two paired packages 158-159. Thus the stack consisting of three tiers of two paired packages each is introduced in one piece into the packing container 169.

This packing container 169 has in the meantime been brought into contact with the platform 171, its flaps being held open by suitable pieces 196 and 197. To this end, the cam 176 actuates, via a slider similar to sliders 178 and 186, a rod 198 coupled to a lever 199 controlling, via a countershaft, a lever 200 fixed to a thrustplate 201. While a packing container 169 is being loaded, the conveyor belt 168 continues to travel beneath the container and brings a fresh container 169a into contact with the first one. When loading of container 169 is completed, the boss 202 of cam 176 displaces the lever 200 into the position shown in broken lines in FIG. 3. The loaded container 169 is then carried away by the conveyor belt 168, as shown at 16% in FIG. 2, and container 169 is brought straight below the platform 171 by the conveyor belt. At that instant the cam 176 returns the lever 200 which, through the medium of thrustplate 201, moves the fresh container to be loaded from the position it occupied on the belt 168 ahead of the loading station to the position shown at 169 in FIG. 2.

The mechanical system constituting the loading station D thus enables all the bottles to be contained in the packing container to be loaded at once, thereby overcoming thefdrawback which might arise in the loading station in the arrangement in accordance with FIGS. 1 through 11 in which the container is successively loaded, over each of its half-lengths, with a stack of three pairs of bottles. To this end, the reduction ratio between the wheels 151 and 152 is made equal to 2:1- and that between wheels 154 and 156 made equal to 3:1, so that, at each revolution of the master shaft 3a, a pair of packaged bottles is conveyed to the packing station, at each (two revolutions of said shaft the two pairs of packaged bottles are conveyed onto the platform which occupies,

in three successive double revolutions of the shaft, three successive positions in elevation, While every six revolutions of said shaft the stack of three tiers of two paired bottles each formed on the paltform is convey-ed into the packing container and an empty container substituted for a full container.

In the machine shown in FIGS. 1 through 11, the mechanism which actuates the cardboard distributing sliders and which utilizes a crank and connecting-rod protrudes to a considerable extent from the machine bed when the sliders are brought into the position they occupy before engaging with the cardboards. In order to provide .a core compact mechanism, use is made, in accordance with the invention, of the arrangement shown in FIGS. 15 and 16.

The sliders 16b and are displaced by the action of a roller 203 mounted on one end of a horizontal beamlever 204 and bearing against a cross-piece 17a joining the two sliders. This beam-lever carries a roller 205 on its other end and is articularted centrally at 206 on a horizontal crank 207 carried by a vertical shaft 208 fixed to a bevel gear 209 driven by a further bevel gear 210 carried by the master shaft 3b. The roller 203 is displaceable between two slideways 211 and 212 mounted on the machine bed and aligned with the latter longitudinal axis. The roller 205 is slidable between two slideways 213 and 214 which are carried by supports 215 and 216 and which are aligned with a transverse axis. These four slideways 211 through 214 are so located as to form the corners of a square.

If the shaft 208 rotates in the direction of arrow f,

then, starting from the position shown in FIG. 5, the

roller 205 moves outwardly in the slideway 213 whereas roller 203 moves along the axis common to slideways 211 and 212 until it is in line with the shaft 208; then roller 205 moves inwardly along slideway 213- and escapes therefrom when roller 203 engages in slideway 212. Roller 205 then moves along the axis common to slideways 213 and 214 while roller 203 moves along slideway 212, first away then towards slideway 211. It escapes from slideway 212 after roller 205 has engaged with slideway 214 and moves along the axis common to slideways 212 and 211, towards the latter slideway, while roller 205 first moves outwardly then inwardly in slideway 214. Lastly, roller 203 engages in slideway 211 and moves therein, first away then towards slideway 212, while roller 205 moves along the axis common to s-lideways 214 and 213 to again occupy the position shown in FIG. 5.

In the machine described with reference to FIGS. 1

through 11, the creasing and preformi-ng station B comprises a device for raising the terminal surfaces of the cardboard and a device for folding these raised terminal surfaces. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 17, these two devices are combined into a single unit. Each slider 41b vertically slidable underneath the base and similar to the sliders 41 and 41 of FIG. 2a is controlled, like these latter sliders, by a cam carried by the master shaft and by a spring. This slider carries beneath the base a support 217 onto which is cut a set of rack-teeth 218. A pinion 219 pivotally mounted around a horizontal transverse axis and meshing with this rack is likewise in mesh with a pinion 220 on the horizontal transverse shaft 221, and onto this latter pinion is fixed a lever 222 of circular arcuate shape and thrusting in inoperative position under the corresponding terminal surface T or T of the cardboard. The assembly consisting of the pinions and their spindles is slidably displaceable against the countering action of a spring 223.

After the blades 23b, 24b and 25b of the crease marking device of station B have marked the crease-lines on the cardboard, as described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 11, the sliders 41b on being raised by their cams and springs rotate the levers 222 upwardly by the action of their racks 218. This movement raises the outer surg. faces 224 of the cardboard 8b and causes them to fold along the outer crease-lines made by the blades 25b. Then, when by the action of the levers 222 these portions 224 encounter the blades 25b, the latter retract by pivoting about their pins 38b and the portions 224 are folded back onto the remainder of the cardboard 8b. At the end of their travel the levers 222 exert pressure on these folded-back portions 224 through the sliding action of pinions 219 and 220 and their spindles against the springs 223.

In practice there are two pairs of levers 222 placed one on either side of the sliders 41b, these levers being joined by a strip designed to push, together with the levers, the end portions 224 of the cardboard 8b.

It is to be clearly understood that many modifications can be made to the embodiments described hereinbefore without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the accompanying claims. Thus the number of pairs of bottles in each tier could be greater than two, just as the stacks could consist of more than three tiers of pairs, which would merely involve modifying the ratios of the sprockets 151, 152 and 154, 156 and the number of hollows in the cam 174-. Similarly, instead of being used to package and pack bottles, the machine for packaging and packing could be used to package and pack any suitable object whatsoever. Again, instead of consisting of pinion meshing with two racks actuated by a cam on the master shaft, the control mechanism for the levers of the folding-back component could consist of a double wishbone device of which two opposite pins would be rigidly fixed to these levers and one of the other pins coupled to a lever actuated by a cam carried by said master shaft.

What I claim is:

1. A machine for packaging and packing objects disposed side by side by pairs and packaged in two contiguous prismatic cells of square cross-section formed in a folded cardboard, the adjacent faces of said cells being constituted by the folded-back terminal portions of the cardboard, comprising, a base having an upper horizontal surface, a drive shaft mounted on said base; in succession on said base four Working stations, the first station being a packaging cardboard station including a magazine mounted on said base, open at the bottom, and within which fiat pieces of cardboard corresponding to the size of the packages to be made are stacked, the second station being a creasing and preforming station including crease-marking means for marking two series of three parallel crease-lines on each cardboard defining on said cardboard a central surface, four intermediate surfaces and two terminal surfaces, means for raising the terminal surfaces of the cardboard comprised between the outer crease-lines of said series and the edges of the cardboard which are parallel to said crease-lines and means for folding the raised terminal surfaces over the remaining part of the cardboard to obtain a preformed cardboard, the third station being a station for final forming of the packages and for introducing the pairs of objects in the formed packages including means for placing side by side two objects on the preformed cardboard between the inner crease-lines of said series, means for folding up the intermediate surfaces of the cardboard along the inner crease-lines of said series and means for folding back the terminal surfaces of the cardboard along the intermediate crease-lines of said series over the two objects and for simultaneously inserting the folded back terminal surfaces of said cardboard side by side between said two objects, the fourth station being a final packing station comprising a vertically movable platform, means for descending said platform step-by-step from its uppermost position level with the upper surface of the base for stacking up pairs of Packaged objects thereon, means disposed laterally with respect to said base and level with said platform at its lowermost position for distributing packing containers in registered relation to said fourth station, means for loading the complete stacks into the packing containers, and means for maintaining the distributed packing container in the required position during the loading operation, said magazine, all of said means, and said platform being carried by said base; transmission means respectively controlling all the means of said working stations from said drive shaft in the required sequential order for each working station; and means controlled by said drive shaft for mechanically conveying the cardboards step-by-step and one by one on the upper surface of the base from said magazine to said successive working stations.

2. A machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the means for mechanically conveying the cardboards stepby-step and one by one to the successive working stations comprises a slider slidably mounted on the base, a transmission system coupled to the drive shaft and to said slider in order to impart to the latter a to-and-fro motion, three feed devices secured on said slider and travelling over the intervals comprised between the four stations, said feed devices terminating in engagement beaks which protrude above the base when the slider travels in the cardboard-supplying direction, means for retracting said beaks beneath said base during return travel of the slider, and a cam carried by said drive shaft and cont-rolling said retracting means. 1

3. A machine in accordance with claim 2, wherein the transmission system comprises a transverse shaft located above said slider and below the magazine, a lever pivoting about said transverse shaft, means for controlling the pivotal movement of said lever about the transverse shaft by the drive shaft, and a connecting-rod interconnecting the free end of said lever and the end of the slider nearest to the magazine.

4. A machine in accordance with claim 2, wherein the transmission system comprises a vertical rotating shaft located below the magazine, means for coupling said vertical shaft to the drive shaft, a horizontal lever carried by said vertical shaft, a beam-lever articulated at the center thereof onto the free end of said horizontal lever, four horizontal slideways aligned in opposed horizontal and transverse pairs, arranged to form the four corners of a square centred upon the axis of said vertical shaft, and successively engaging the ends of said beam lever, one of the ends of said beam-lever being connected to the end of the slider nearest to the magazine.

5. A machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the crease-marking means comprises a support vertically slidable over the base, two series of three downwardly directed vertical blades carried by said support and the lower ends of which in inoperative position are substantially flush with the upper surface of said base, the two outer blades being hinged on said support, a cam carried by the drive shaft and a transmission system coupled to said support and engaging said cam for vertically displacing said support.

6. A machine in accordance with claim 5, wherein the means for raising the terminal surfaces of the carboard comprises two sliders vertically slidable beneath the base, two cams carried by the drive shaft, resilient means for applying said sliders against said cams, two upwardly directed pushrods respectively disposed on either side of the outer blades hinged on the support for raising the terminal surfaces of the cardboard and respectively carried by said sliders so that in inoperative position their upper ends are substantially flush with the upper surface of said base, and wherein the means for folding the raised terminal surfaces over the remaining part of the cardboard comprises two downwardly directed levers integral with toothed sectors, disposed above the base on either side of the creasemarking and raising devices and pivotally mounted around transverse axes disposed above said crease-marking and raising devices, two vertical racks engaging said sectors, two cams carried by said shaft and engaging said racks for vertically displacing the latter, and two rollers fitted to the ends of said levers, whereby when upwardly moving said racks said rollers fold the raised terminal surfaces of the cardboard while at the same time causing the outer blades of the crease-marking device which would otherwise oppose such folding to pivot out of the way.

7. A machine in accordance with claim 5, wherein the means for raising the terminal surfaces of the cardboard :and for folding said raised terminal surfaces over the remaining part of said cardboard are combined into a single unit comprising two sliders vertically slidable underneath the base, two cams carried by the drive shaft, resilient means for applying said sliders against said cams, two racks carried by said sliders beneath the base on either side of the crease-marking device, two trains of gears respectively meshing with said racks and pivotably mounted around horizontal axes, two systems of circular arcuate levers driven by said trains of gears and thrusting in inoperative position beneath the terminal surfaces of the cardboard to raise the same and fold the cardboard back onto the intermediate surfaces when the sliders are upwardly moved by causing the outer blades of said creasemarking devices which would otherwise oppose such folding to pivot out of the way, and thrust springs bearing under said trains of gears so that said lever systems exert pressure on the folded-back terminal surfaces of the cardboard after said levers systems have reached the end of their folding stroke.

8. A machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the means for folding up the intermediate surfaces and for folding back the outer intermediate and terminal surfaces of the cardboard comprise a former laterally disposed at rest with respect to the base opposite the distribution apparatus, said former having two lateral vertical plates registering with the inner crease-lines and the height of which is equal to the width of the intermediate surfaces and a central vertical plate the height of which is greater than that of lateral plates, means controlled by the drive shaft for placing said former on the upper surface of the base as soon as a cardboard comes from the second working station to the third working station, a slider vertically slidable underneath the base, a cam carried by the drive shaft, resilient means for applying said slider against said cam, two upwardly directed pushrods carried by said slider on either side of said lateral plates and bearing in inoperative position beneath the intermediate surfaces 'of the cardboard to raise the cardboard along the outer surfaces of said lateral plates when the slider is upwardly moved, two inclined levers pivotally movable by their upper ends around a common transverse axis and the lower ends of which can butt against the upper portion of said central plate, a second cam carried by said drive shaft, a transmission means interconnecting said second cam and said levers for imparting to the latter a pivotal movement towards each other around their common axis, and two shoe-equipped pallets respectively fitted on the lower ends of said levers so that when the latter butt against said central plate the shoes of said pallets are horizontal and substantially flush with the upper edges of said lateral plates, whereby during the movement of said pallets towards each other their shoes fold back the cardboard along the intermediate crease-lines while the previously-folded terminal surfaces of said cardboard slide along the central plate and are thus inserted between the two objects previously introduced into the former.

9. A machine in accordance with claim 8, wherein guiding horizontal components disposed between the third and fourth working stations in registered relationship with the shoes of the pallets when the levers butt against the central plate ensure the maintenance of the cardboard in the'folded-back position between the third and fourth working stations in association with the shoe of the pallet fitted to the lever nearest to said fourth station, said guiding components having a downwardly directed boss for strongly pressing the upper angles of the formed packages distributed from the third working station.

10. A machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the platform is aligned with the base, wherein the packing container is designed to take stacks of packaged pairs of objects to be placed thereinto one beside the other in succession, and wherein the means for descending said platform step-by-step, for loading the complete stacks into the packing container and for maintaining the latter comprise a vertically movable slider carrying said platform, first transmission system controlled by the drive shaft for descending said slider through the height of a packaged pair of objects at each one of successive revolutions of said shaft the number of which is equal to one less than that of the number of packaged pairs in a stack and returning said platform to its uppermost position at the following revolution of said shaft whereby in said uppermost position at each descent said platform receives a packaged pair of objects, a lever pivotally mounted at its lower end on the base opposite the packing container distributing apparatus and transversally pivotable, longitudinal pushbars carried by the upper end of said lever respectively in register with the packaged pairs of objects forming one stack on the platform in its lowermost position, a second transmission system controlled by the drive shaft for pivoting said lever every time the number of revolutions of said shaft is equal to that of the packaged pairs by stack when the platform is in said lowermost position to load each stack of packaged pairs of objects into the packing container, a mechanism having stops transversely movable over the distributing apparatus and spaced with re spect to each other by a distance equal to the width of the packing container divided by the number of stacks, and a third transmission system controlled by the drive shaft for successively introducing said stops in the path of each packing container every time the number of revolutions of said shaft is equal to that of the packaged pairs by stack in order to maintain said packing element stationary on the distributing apparatus to load the corre sponding stack thereinto. 7

11. A machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein the platform is disposed laterally with respect to the base between said base and the packing container distributing apparatus, wherein the packing container is designed to take tiers of packaged pairs of objects to be simultaneous 1y placed thereinto, and wherein the means for descending said platform step-by-step, for loading the complete stack into the packing container and for maintaining the latter comprise a rod pivotally mounted under the platform, a first transmission system controlled by the drive shaft for descending said platform through the height of a packaged pair of objects every time the number of revolutions of said shaft is equal to one less than the number of packaged pairs in each tier and returning said platform at its uppermost position at the following revolution of said shaft, whereby in said upper position at each descent, said platform receives a tier of packaged pairs of objects, a first lever pivotally mounted at its lower end on the base opposite said platform and transversally pivotable, a longitudinal strip carried by the upper end of said lever in register with each tier of packaged pairs of objects conducted on the base at the fourth station, a second transmission system controlled by the drive shaft for pivoting said lever every time the number of revolutions of said shaft is equal to that of the packaged pairs by tier in order to transfer each tier of packaged pairs of objects from the base to said platform, a second lever transversally pivotable at its lower end on said base between the latter and the packing container distributing apparatus, longitudinal strips carried by the upper end of said second lever respectively in register with the tiers of packaged pairs of objects on the platform in its lowermost position, a third transmission system controlled by the drive shaft for pivoting said second lever every time the number of revolutions of said shaft is equal to the product of the number of tiers by the number of packaged pairs by tier, when the platform is in its lowermost position in order to simultaneously load all the tiers of packaged pairs of objects into the packing container, a stop transversely movable over said distributing apparatus, a thrust plate fixed on said stop at an intermediate point thereof, and

14 taneously maintain said container longitudinally stationary on the distributing element and to transversally move said container on said element towards said platform for loading simultaneously thereinto all the tiers of packaged a fourth transmission system controlled by said drive 5 pairs of objects.

shaft for introducing said stop in the path of each packing container every time the number of revolutions of said shaft is equal to the product of the number of tiers by the number of packaged pairs by tier, in order to simul- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,709,399 Smith May 31, 1955 

1. A MACHINE FOR PACKAGING AND PACKING OBJECTS DISPOSED SIDE BY SIDE BY PAIRS AND PACKAGED IN TWO CONTIGUOUS PRISMATIC CELLS OF SQUARE CROSS-SECTION FORMED IN A FOLDED CARDBOARD , THE ADJACENT FACES OF SAID CELLS BEING CONSTITUTED BY THE FOLDED-BACK TERMINAL PORTIONS OF THE CARDBOARD, COMPRISING, A BASE HAVING AN UPPER HORIZONTAL SURFACE, A DRIVE SHAFT MOUNTED ON SAID BASE; IN SUCCESSION ON SAID BASE FOUR WORKING STATIONS, THE FIRST STATION BEING A PACKAGING CARDBOARD STATION INCLUDING A MAGAZINE MOUNTED ON SAID BASE, OPEN AT THE BOTTOM, AND WITHIN WHICH FLAT PIECES OF CARDBOARD CORRESPONDING TO THE SIZE OF THE PACKAGES TO BE MADE ARE STACKED, THE SECOND STATION BEING A CREASING AND PREFORMING STATION INCLUDING CREASE-MARKING MEANS FOR MARKING TWO SERIES OF THREE PARALLEL CREASE-LINES ON EACH CARDBOARD DEFINING ON SAID CARDBOARD A CENTRAL SURFACE, FOUR INTERMEDIATE SURFACES AND TWO TERMINAL SURFACES, MEANS FOR RAISING THE TERMINAL SURFACES OF THE CARDBOARD COMPRISED BETWEEN THE OUTER CREASE-LINES OF SAID SERIES AND THE EDGES OF THE CARDBOARD WHICH ARE PARALLEL TO SAID CREASE-LINES AND MEANS FOR FOLDING THE RAISED TERMINAL SURFACES OVER THE REMAINING PART OF THE CARDBOARD TO OBTAIN A PREFORMED CARDBOARD, THE THIRD STATION BEING A STATION FOR FINAL FORMING OF THE PACKAGES AND FOR INTRODUCING THE PAIRS OF OBJECTS IN THE FORMED PACKAGES INCLUDING MEANS FOR PLACING SIDE BY SIDE TWO OBJECTS ON THE PREFORMED CARDBOARD BETWEEN THE INNER CREASE-LINES OF SAID SERIES, MEANS FOR FOLDING UP THE INTERMEDIATE SURFACES OF THE CARDBOARD ALONG THE INNER CREASE-LINES OF SAID SERIES AND MEANS FOR FOLDING BACK THE TERMINAL SURFACES OF THE CARDBOARD ALONG THE INTERMEDIATE CREASE-LINES OF SAID SERIES OVER THE TWO OBJECTS AND FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY INSERTING THE FOLDED BACK TERMINAL SURFACES OF SAID CARDBOARD SIDE BY SIDE BETWEEN SAID TWO OBJECTS, THE FOURTH STATION BEING A FINAL PACKING STATION COMPRISING A VERTICALLY MOVABLE PLATFORM, MEANS FOR DESCENDING SAID PLATFORM STEP-BY-STEP FROM ITS UPPERMOST POSITION LEVEL WITH THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE BASE FOR STACKING UP PAIRS OF PACKAGED OBJECTS THEREON, MEANS DISPOSED LATERALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID BASE AND LEVEL WITH SAID PLATFORM AT ITS LOWERMOST POSITION FOR DISTRIBUTING PACKING CONTAINERS IN REGISTERED RELATION TO SAID FOURTH STATION, MEANS FOR LOADING THE COMPLETE STACKS INTO THE PACKING CONTAINERS, AND MEANS FOR MAINTAINING THE DISTRIBUTED PACKING CONTAINER IN THE REQUIRED POSITION DURINGING THE LOADING OPERATION, SAID MAGAZINE, ALL OF SAID MEANS, AND SAID PLATFORM BEING CARRIED BY SAID BASE; TRANSMISSION MEANS RESPECTIVELY CONTROLLING ALL THE MEANS OF SAID WORKING STATIONS FROM SAID DRIVE SHAFT IN THE REQUIRED SEQUENTIAL ORDER FOR EACH WORKING STATION; AND MEANS CONTROLLED BY SAID DRIVE SHAFT FOR MECHANICALLY CONVEYING THE CARDBOARDS STEP-BY-STEP AND ONE BY ONE ON THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE BASE FROM SAID MAGAZINE TO SAID SUCCESSIVE WORKING STATIONS. 